The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ School of Music has received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Research Labs Award to advance innovative research on therapeutic group singing for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. Bolstered by the award of more than $198,000 in federal grant support, the project will launch in the coming year and examine how music-based interventions can improve voice quality, communication, psychosocial well-being, and overall quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease.

The NEA created the Research Labs Awards to assist in establishing a national program of interdisciplinary research teams in the arts, yielding empirical insights about the arts for the benefit of arts and non-arts sectors alike.

The multi-year School of Music initiative brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts, researchers, and clinicians in partnership with Tremble Clefs, a national nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic singing programs for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. Building on several years of published research and community engagement, the team will investigate the effects of therapeutic group singing, develop clinician training resources, and create freely accessible online materials for individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s disease.

The research lab is led by School of Music Associate Professor, Abbey Dvorak, who heads the school’s music therapy area. The lab includes Co-Principal Investigator Sun Joo Lee, a 2025 UI music therapy PhD graduate, founder of Tremble Clefs choirs in Arizona and Iowa, and assistant professor in music therapy at University of Missouri-Kansas City. University of Iowa faculty collaborators include Jeremy Manternach, associate professor of music education; Louise Pinkerton, clinical assistant professor in CLAS's Communication Sciences and Disorders department and speech-language pathologist specializing in voice disorders, singing rehabilitation, and gender-affirming care; and Juanita J. Bartlett Professor of Neurology, Nandakumar Narayanan, vice chair of research in neurology for the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and associate director of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute.

The project will also expand community performances by Tremble Clefs Iowa, providing opportunities for public engagement while exploring how music and performance can reduce stigma and increase understanding of Parkinson’s disease. In addition to conducting research, the team will develop training materials and digital resources designed to help health care and music therapy professionals implement similar programs in their own communities.

“This research reflects the power of the arts to improve health, wellness, and community connection,” said Dvorak. “We are excited to build on our existing work and create resources that will benefit individuals with Parkinson’s disease, their families, health care providers, and communities across Iowa and beyond.”

Through research, education, and community outreach, the UI-based NEA Research Lab will further establish CLAS and the broader University of Iowa as a leader in investigating the role of music and the arts in promoting health and quality of life.